Meet Kent Faulcon of Tyler Perry's "For Better Or Worse"

Monday, 09 January 2012 03:04 Written by  Ebony L. Morman

Television plays such a huge part in the majority of people’s lives. If we’re not in front of the TV during “primetime,” I would bet my life that we will catch our shows at a later date, whether online or on TV, courtesy of DVR. So, what has us so addicted to the “tube”? Some may argue that it’s reality TV that has taken over, but I still contend that sitcoms, dramas, and shows of the sort still reign supreme, primarily because they keep us guessing and asking the age old question: does art imitate life or does life imitate art?

Tyler Perry’s new “dramedy” For Better Or Worse, which premiered late last year, could be thought of as art imitating life. The show follows three couples at three very distinct stages of their relationships: a relationship that is all about “new love,” a marriage that has stood the test of time, and a couple that’s in between the two. For those who follow Tyler’s work, For Better Or Worse may look very familiar because it’s a spin-off of his movie, Why Did I Get Married? However, even though two very familiar characters appear on the show, new faces take the story line to new depths.

For actor Kent Faulcon, it was refreshing to learn that Tyler’s decision wasn’t to re-cast the entire cast of the original movie for the television show. It gave the North Carolina-native, who has always wanted to act, the opportunity to be “Richard,” a former baseball player who just joined C-Sports Now, a new sports program.

“I think it’s quite clever what Tyler has done,” Kent comments. “Instead of trying to re-cast that world, he just expanded that world.”

Entering that “world,” Kent had no problem getting along with his cast mates. In fact, the set immediately felt like home because of the bonds that were formed so quickly, he adds.

“We just really enjoy each other’s company,” he says. “We love being around each other.”

It’s no secret that chemistry both on and off screen makes for exceptional TV. Oftentimes, it translates directly to the viewer, which may be more important in this particular show more so than Tyler’s other television projects like Meet The Browns or House of Payne.

One aspect of For Better Or Worse that definitely makes it unique is that there is no “laugh track,” which is something that audiences are very accustomed to having. Without a live audience, there’s a possibility to create a disconnect between the storyline and the viewers, but Kent sees that people are accepting it, while only a select few yearn for the laugh track.

“I was a little concerned because people get comfortable in seeing things a certain way,” he says. “I admire Tyler for saying I want to try something different.”

Kent admits that the “Twitter parties,” where cast mates watch the show with viewers and tweet live, have been enlightening. His followers, and fans of the show, have tweeted: “I want the laugh track,” “I feel awkward laughing by myself,” or “I don’t know when to laugh.”

Kent’s response, “Well, laugh when you want to laugh. If it’s funny, let out a chuckle but if it’s not, you just got to flow with the story and see where it goes.”

It is this uniqueness that separates this show from not only Tyler’s other shows, but most shows on television today. Even though the show is different and targets young adults, the response to For Better Or Worse has been extremely positive, Kent admits.

The positive response could be attributed to audiences being able to identify with at least one of the characters when it comes to relationships, and how Tyler chose to explore relationships that are at different levels.

“It’s an opportunity for people to see what relationships are like or maybe even learn a lesson from how to do it or how not to do it,” Kent comments. “That could be real special when you can give something as well as entertain.”

Follow Kent on Twitter at @kentfaulcon

Ebony L. Morman

Ebony L. Morman

GMO's Senior Editor Ebony L. Morman received her B.A. in journalism from Northern Illinois University and her master’s in journalism from Columbia College Chicago. The Chicago-native enjoys writing about almost anything, but since she also has a passion for music, writing reviews of albums has become one of her favorite past times. Aside from GMO, Ebony freelances for a variety of publications and volunteers in her community.

Ebony can be contacted at EbonyM@glossmagazineonline.com
Follow her on Twitter at @EbonyEyes_GMO

Website: www.glossmagazineonline.com

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